Picadillo - Mexican Fruity Chilli

Thursday, 9 August 2012

Okay I know this sounds a bit odd, regular chilli made with the usual minced meat, but with the addition of banana, apples and raisins?.....

However, if you saw Thomasina Miers cooking this on her TV series 'Mexican Food made Simple' on Channel 5 then I'm pretty sure you'd want to make it too. It was totally delicious, very hot but the heat is nicely balanced with the sweetness from the raisins. Yes I will make this again and again.

Here's my very slightly altered version.

Yield: 4Author: Jan Bennett

Picadillo - Mexican Fruity Chilli

Okay I know this sounds a bit odd, regular chilli made with the usual minced meat, but with the addition of banana, apples and raisins? But it was actually very nice!

prep time: 15 minscook time: 35 minstotal time: 50 mins

ingredients:

6 plum tomatoes - skin on

2 onions - quartered and skin on

2 jalapeño chillies - skin on

3 cloves of garlic - unpeeled

2 tablespoons of olive oil

salt and pepper to taste

Other Bits and Bobs:

250g minced beef

250g minced pork

Olive oil

salt and pepper for seasoning

a sprinkle of cinnamon

1 teaspoon cumin

a pinch of ground cloves

a small handful of fresh oregano or thyme - chopped

50g Pimenton stuffed green olives (roughly chopped)

70g raisins

1 apple, peeled and finely chopped

1 banana, peeled and finely chopped

100ml Chicken stock - I made mine from a half of a Knorr stock cube

1 tablespoon of Chipotle paste

a good handful of toasted slivered almonds to serve

instructions

To make the roast tomato sauce, heat a dry frying pan and roast the tomatoes, jalapeños, onion and garlic until they blister and blacken.

Cover with cling film and allow to cool. Remove the skins then puree in a food processor.

Heat the oil in a saucepan and add the tomato sauce and simmer for 15 minutes.

In another heavy based pan, heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil and brown the meat, season as you cook and break up any lumps with a wooden spoon.

Sprinkle in the cinnamon, cumin, cloves, olives and raisins and stir. Pour in the tomato sauce and stock.

Add the herbs, apple, banana and chipotles paste (add a little at a time, stir and taste) and cook for a further 5 minutes.

Cover and bring to a gentle simmer, stirring occasionally, until nearly all the liquid has evaporated.

The finished Picadillo should not be to wet. Serve with rice and tortillas.

To make the roast tomato sauce, heat a dry frying pan and roast the tomatoes, jalapeños, onion and garlic until they blister and blacken. Remove the skins then puree in a food processor.

Heat the oil in a saucepan and add the tomato sauce and simmer for 15 minutes.

In another heavy based pan, heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil and brown the meat, season as you cook and break up any lumps with a wooden spoon. Sprinkle in the cinnamon, cumin, cloves, olives and raisins and stir.

Pour in the tomato sauce and stock. Add the herbs, apple, banana and chipotle paste (add a little at a time, stir and taste) and cook for a further 5 minutes.

Cover and bring to a gentle simmer, stirring occasionally, until nearly all the liquid has evaporated.

The finished Picadillo should not be to wet. Serve with rice and tortillas.